Vault light



July 31, 1923'.

"N. L. WALKER VAULT LIGHT Filed May g, 1919 form;

Patented July 31, 1923.

1,463,452 PATEN tr easier... 1

WILLIAM. L; WALKER, on NEW YORK, Y.

VAULT LIGHT;

Application filed May3,

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, vVILLIAML. WALKER, citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county ofNew York and'state of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vault Lights,-of which the following is a specification. 1 1 I This invention relatesto lights of the general type comprising essentially a plurality of lenses suitably secured-within a frame, such as are commonly used for lighting vaults-basements, cellars and the like.:pIts principal object is to provide a lens which can be readily and securely installed'with an airtight and water. tight joint between it and the frame and which at the same time is readily removable as the lens becomes chipped or .broken'in service;

Referring to the. drawings which. illustrate certain embodiments of my invention,

Figure 1 isa vertical central section of my improved lens. and frame;

Figure Q-is a'similar. view of a modified Figure 3 is a similar view, the lens being lshownin" elevation and having a modified formiof. packing ring.

Figure 4: 15:11) elevational view of afurther modified form of lens; and

Figure 5 is a top view of a section of a vault light showing a lens mounted in its support.

.Be'ferring to Fig. 1, A is an annular supporting member cast integrally with the usual vault light frame or such as disclosed in my :co-pending application Serial, No.

294,381, filed May 3, 1919, and tapered downwardly so as to form a support for the lens glass B adapted to be placed therein. B is the lens glass having a taper corresponding to the taper of the member A. The lens B is. provided with a rectangular clrcumfercntial groove B in which is placed a gasket G of rubber or otherpompressible deforma ble' material of rectangular cross section. To secure the lens B in the member A the lens 13 is provided with T-shaped grooves B on opposite sides of the lens 13 adapted to receive bolts C, and the member-A is pro vided with inturned lugs A through which the bolts pass. The bolts are threaded on their lower ends to receive clamping nuts N. Surrounding the bolts betweenthe lens B and the lugs A? are lead washers W to serve asbcarings for the lens and to prevent the 1919. Serial No. 1 294,380.;.

lens'from sinkingtoo deeply; into the annular member. The space above the gasket G and between the lens B and the memberv A is filled with a mixture of sulphur andtar T r for the purpose'of keepingwater and oil away from the'gasket Y r After the vault light frame has been filled with cement or like materiah the rubber gasket (J'r i's-snapped into the groove Bkthe bolts C- are insertedin the grooves B and the-lens isthen inserted in-the member. A t; with the threaded ends of, the bolts project,- ingthrough'; the lu s A The nuts N. are

. then placed on the bolts and turned up-until a bearing is obtained between the lens,.lead

.washers V and lugs A .As the lens is if;

drawn into themember-A, the gasket Gr becomes compressed and assumes; the form shown inFigl-l. After the lens has been securely fastened,: sulphur-tar.composition T is DOured into the space tbet-weenthe lens B andmember 1A, and allowed-to 0001.; The lens is thus. securelyheld in the member A,

making a water-tight.connectiontherewith.

Instead of: a rubber gasket. I may use a leadgasketwin the form of a lead ring G 1 square 1n cross section and-cast in the groove B of the lens B. V This embodiment isillustratedin Fig.2. When thele'ns B is drawn intolthe member A, the lead-gasket G becomes compressed and flows to form a tight joint between the lens and the supporting member. A. The lead gasket could .also beformed from a strip of lead and the ends 99 burned. togetherv after placingit in the groove of the lens. While I have shown-the ,lcns B 1n Fig. Qashavmg perpendicular sides it is evident that it could be formed, as well-with sloping sides similar to the embodiment' shown in Fig. 1. r V 7 I may also employ a gasket of metal such as COPPBIEIlJI'itSS OI other reasonably soft metal. As such metals have a high melting point'they cannot thereforebe cast inthe 100 {IIYGOVGiIl' the lens, and must tliereforobe formed into the proper shape and with a i proper diameter to fit the groove in the lens and inserted into'the. groove. To provide for this'I formrtheringsplit or with a. diagonal ential groove is semicircular instead of rectangular and that a gasket G of circular cross-section is employed therewith.

The lens B could be held into the member A by means of cotter pins or bent wire as shown at P in Figs. 3 and 4, in place of the bolts C shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When so employed the split end of pin Pwould pass through the lug A and be spread openas is the usual practice wit-hcotter pins.

The construction above described is simple and provides efficient means for securing the lens and for-its removal in'case of breakage. The narrow rubber gasket is easily made and inserted in the groove of the lens and insures a tight joint between the lens and its support, and is efficiently protected from water and oilby the sulphur-tar composition which is inserted above the gasket. Ifdesirable the lens could be made square or oblong and a rubber gasket of the same form used therewith. A further essential feature of the invention resides in the use of deformable metal gaskets which would be far more durable than rubber and yet pro vide a water-tight joint between the lens and its support.

l/Vhile in some of the figures I have shown lenses with circumferential grooves of reotangular cross section and in other figures lenses with grooves of semi-circular crossseetion, it isobvious that lenses could be employed having grooves of other cross-section the lenses being supplied with gaskets having a cross-section similar to the cross-section of the groove. It is further obvious that the nature of" the material used to form the gasket is independent of the shapeof the groove in which the gasket is to be employed.

1 claim: 7 V

1. A vault light, comprising a supporting member,a lens in said member having a circumferential groove, a gasket in said groove for the purpose of providing a water-tight joint between said member and said lens, and sealing material above said gasket and between said lens and said member.

2. i A vault light, comprising a supporting member, a lens in said member having a circumferential groove, axial grooves on oppo site sides of said lens, lugs on said member, means engaging said axial grooves and passingthrough said lugs for the purpose of seci'lring said lens in said member and a soft metal washer between said lens and said lugs and surrounding said means and upontwhich said lens is brought to bear.

A vault light, comprising supporting member, a lens in. said member having a circumferential groove, axial grooves on opposite sides of said lens, lugs on said member, means engaging in said axial grooves and passing through said lugs for the purpose of securing said lens in said member and a'lead washer between said lens and said lugs and surrounding said means and upon which said lens is brought to bear. i

4:. A vault light comprising a supporting member, a lens in said member having a circumferential groove, axial grooves on opposite sides of said lens, lugs on. said member, cotter pins engaging in said axial grooves and passing through said lugs for the purpose of securing said lens in said member and a soft metal washer between said lens and said lugs and surrounding said cotter pins and upon which said lens is brought to bear.

5. A vault light, comprising a supporting member, a lens in said member having a circumferential groove and a split metal gasket in said groove for the purpose of providing a water-tight joint member and said lens. e

6. A vault light, comprising a supporting member, a lens in said member having a circumferential groove a deformable metal gasket in said groove for the purpose'of providing a water-tight joint between said memher and said lens and sealing material above said gasket. r

7 A vault light comprising a supporting member havmg an opening thereto, a lens member fitted in the opening of said sup porting member, a deformable gasket between the surfaces of contact of the members, and a sealing'material of plastic condition when applied, completely filling any between said 7 interstices between the surfaces of con-- tact of the members above said gasket.

8. A vault light comprising a supporting member having a socket therein, a lens substantially fitting said socket, a soft metal gasket between said lens and said support and sealing material above said gasket.

9. A vault light comprising a supporting member, a transparent member in said first member, a groove in one of said members, a.

gasket in said groove for the purpose of providing a water tight joint between said mem bers, and sealing material above said gasket and between said members.

10. A vault light comprising a supporting member, a transparent member in said first 'member, a groove in one ofsa1d members, a

purpose of providing a water tight joint between said members, and sealing material above said gasket and between said mem-. bers.

Signed by me at N day ofApril, 1919. w

. WILLIAM L.-WALKER.

w York city this 25th 

